Last week , Intel revealed Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability that a serious security flaw in some of its chips left potentially thousands of devices vulnerable to attackers . Then , security researchers revealed Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability the problem was way worse than anyone initially thought as the vulnerability could allow attackers to remotely `` hijack '' affected machines . It 's still not clear just how many devices are impacted Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability as Intel has't said , but some in the industry have put the number as high as 8,000 . Here 's a look at what you need to know and how to protect yourself . The vulnerability stems from something called Intel Active Management Technology , ( AMT ) , a technology that allows devices to be remotely managed to make it easier to update software and perform maintenance remotely . It 's a feature typically used by businesses that may be responsible for many devices that may not all be in the same place . Since the technology is integrated at a chip level , AMT can do a bit more than other software-enabled management tools . Using AMT 's capabilities , for instance , a system administrator could remotely access and control a computer 's mouse and keyboard , or turn on a computer that 's already been powered down . While those can be helpful capabilities for corporate IT departments to have , it 's obviously the type of access you 'd want locked down pretty tightly . And that 's just the problem . Security researchers found that AMT 's web portal can be accessed with just the user admin and literally any password or even no password at all . That 's why some have labeled it a `` hijacking '' flaw since anyone who exploits the vulnerability would be able to remotely control so many processes . Most importantly , the flaw does n't impact Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability every Intel chip out there . Since it 's rooted in Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability AMT , the vulnerability primarily affects Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability businesses , though , as Intel points out , some consumers use computers made for businesses . One of the easiest ways to check if you might be affected is to check that Intel sticker that comes on so many PCs . Look for a `` VPro '' logo as that indicates the presence of AMT . Of course , looking for a sticker is hardly foolproof . Intel has also released a downloadable detections guide , which will guide you through the process of checking your machines . You can find the detection guide here . Though Intel has long supplied Apple with chips for Macs , AMT is only present on processors in Windows-based machines , so all Macs are safe from this particular exploit . If you do have a machine that 's impacted by the security flaw , you 'll need to update your firmware as soon as possible . Intel has already created Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability a patch and is now waiting on manufacturers to make it available Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability . Some , including Dell , Lenovo , HP , and Fujitsu , have already rolled it out . You can find links to those over on Intel 's website , which will be updated Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability as more manufacturers release Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability updates .